Improvement in latches



vJ. H. FISHER. improvemnt in Ltches.

No. 123,81?. Patentanw. 2o, 1872'.

` fay/ MW Q/MM/ @maturi PATENT OFFICE.

J. HYDE FISHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN LATCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,817, dated February 20, 1872.

Specification describing a new andImproved Lever-Latch and Handle, invented by J. HYDE FISHER, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois. y

Figure l represents my improved latch and handle as attached to the doors of a refrigera tor, one of the doors being represented as closed and the other as open. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view taken through the line fr x, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre- ;sponding parts.

My invention has for its object to furnish an improved lever-latch and handle, designed especially for refrigerator-doors, but which may be used with advantage upon closet and other doors, and which shall be so constructed as to take upthe wear, holding the door at all utimes tightly closed, and it consists in the construction and combination of the various parts of the device', as hereinafter more fully described.

A represents the bar which forms the latch, and which is pivoted at or near its middle part to the door to be fastened, in such a position that its forward end may enter the catch attached to the 'door-post or casing at the side of the door. B isthe handle, which is formed upon thev latch -or bar A, and which is made shorter thanthe said bar or latch, so as to be eccentric as regards the bar or` latch A, thus making the inner end of the latch and handle A B heavier, so that when unlatched the lat-ch and handle will take a vertical position,as shown in Fig. l, and not be liable to strike against the catch should the door be accidentally closed. Upon the lower part of the platev sition. To the doorpost or casing, at the side of the door7 is attached a plate, D, having a projecting rib or iiange, d1, formed upon it, and in the lower part of which, at the side of the lower end of the said rib or arm d1, is formed a recess,l d2, in which is placed a rubber block, E, or other suitable spring. Inthe case of double doors, as shown in Fig. l, the rib or lange d1 is formed on the middle part of the-plate D, and has a recess or socket, d2, upon each side of its lower end. To the side or sides of the upper part of the rib or tlange d1 is pivoted a short bar, F, which 4forms the catch, and which is made with an oset upon its lower end, which enters the recess or socket d2 upon the inner side ofthe spring E, and the shoulder of which covers and incloses the spring E. The elasticity of the spring E thus holds the lower end of the pivoted bar or catch F pressed inward, and makes the space between'said bar or catch and the surface to which the plate D is attached wedge-shaped, as shown in Fig. 2. By this' construction, as the latch is turned into its place itis held iirinly by the spring catch, and as it wears it only drops down a little further intov the wedge-shaped cavity, into which it enters, and always holds the door tightly closed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters PatentrIhe latch A, hinged bar or catch F, and the rubber block E and its holding-socket, coinbined substantially as shown and described, to operate as specified.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 2d day of October, 1871.

J. HYDE FISHER.

Witnesses:

JAMES T. GRAHAM, T. B. MosHER. 

